: You said,: "I am sorry your first exposure to America was New York City, and I hope you were not hurt. There are many, many better places to be. I do not care if I ever go there again. For what it's worth, I would have helped you, but, you see, that is my nature...."

: Well, firstly, thanks, I do believe you would have helped, and to this date, I often wonder why those people turned their heads away. It could be because these were days of VERY high crime rate in NY, and I think no one wanted the bother of speaking to a police man and such.

: I did get used to NY, though I am not much for crowds; the irony is that when I was living in Istanbul Turkey, Istanbul's population was just one million, and I found it crowded and whenever I could, sought sanctuary in more serene places. and then here I was, smack in New York with its thundering dirty subways... perps who'd think of nothing when they simply dive beneath your skirt as you are climbing the stairs to the elevated on your way to work....: yeah.: and there are some real discrimination tales I could tell ya, from work, when some of my dear coworkers resented me for how hard I worked, and got promoted... and they grumbled: bah, she is only four years here, and is already ... blah blah blah: But then all's well that ends well; as I've said, I got plenty reason to love this land which is, after all, a reflection of all of us.

: Yeah, Next Year in LOTMLand! We'll shake hands, huh, my would-be-gallant-rescuer? And chug down a mug of foaming beer...: what did you guys drink there, anyway????????????????????????

: :-)

: : Seamus

Vita--

Ah, yes......the discrimination rears its ugly head! I am intimately familiar with that aspect of "being accepted." You see, we...Nancy, the dark haired lass and myself...have some dear friends, sisters, who grew up in Sarajevo during WWII and eventually ended up here. Both have become quite successful, but they have shared stories I cannot believe about their lives and experiences, from sitting on Mussolini's knee, to the loss of their father to Nazi executioners,to being gang-raped by British...I SAID BRITISH...soldiers, after identifying their father's corpse. Their emigration to the US took awhile, but they have been here years now. They speak 12 languages fluently. One just retired after many years at the Library of Congress. She sits on the International Board of Geographic Names...the body that approves names for mountains, rivers, etc., anywhere in this world that people want to name after whatever or whomever...one of four people on that Board, BTW. The other is a Trust officer for an attorney...in New York! Both have been through similar experiences as you in becoming an American. And, had I not known better, I would have sworn it was them writing, rather than you.

Oh, yes...We drink rum...dark...sruce beer, which will knock your socks off, and when I portray a Provincial officer (in another impression!) I sip Madeira, Port, or Tawny Port from a silver cup! You are welcome to join me anytime....as Sarah M./Chauncey did at Ticonderoga recently. I would be honored, Madame....!